The Government as Economic Developer: A Kelo Update

Conn Carroll /
March 30, 2009

On June 23, 2005, the United States Supreme Court handed down a 5-4 decision affirming the state of Connecticut’s right to evict U.S. citizens from their homes for purposes of “economic development.” In Kelo v. City of New London, plaintiff Suzette Kelo, who had recently bought her dream home on the bank of the Thames River, sued to stop New London from using its eminent domain power to condemn and destroy her home. New London wanted to destroy Kelo’s home so that Pfizer, Inc. could build $300 million research facility.

The government got its way. 78 homes have been destroyed. But how is that government-led economic development going? The CATO Institute has an update: